The Pilgrims of New England | Page 7

mode of civil government that they proposed to establish in the colony.
This government was not to be independent of the mother country, for
the Pilgrims regarded themselves as still being the subjects of King
James; and the patent which they had procured to enable them to settle
in New England was granted by the Company to whom the king had
assigned the right of colonizing that part of North America. They,
therefore, intended to be governed mainly by English laws, and to keep
up a constant and intimate connection with their English brethren. It
may be well here to mention that their plan of civil government
consisted in the election of a governor or president by general vote, and
of seven counselors to assist him; the only privilege granted to the
president being that his vote counted double. This state of things
continued for eighteen years, after which time the growth of the colony
rendered a change expedient, and each new town that was founded sent
delegates to a general court. It would, however, be useless here to
follow the political changes of these early settlers, as it is only with
their first form of government that our story is concerned.
According to the habitual custom of the Pilgrims, the Sabbath which
preceded the sending forth this band of spies to search the land, was
observed with the utmost solemnity; for no press of occupations--no
necessity for haste--ever induced them to neglect this duty. For the
liberty of practicing their own mode of worship, they had sought these
shores; and, having been permitted safely to reach them, they used that
liberty, and were never unmindful of their religious privileges. Every
Sabbath was a day of sacred rest; and every undertaking was sanctified
by prayer; sometimes even, as we shall have occasion to observe, when
the undertaking was such as could hardly be supposed to deserve the
blessing of God. Still, there is every reason to believe that their piety,
as a body, was sincere; and while we condemn the sternness and

severity into which they were too frequently betrayed, we must yield
our heartfelt approbation to the self-denying resolution and unflinching
faith that were their governing principle and their ever- actuating
motive. Well have these principles and motives been described by a
late well-known poet, and well may we conclude this introductory
chapter with the last verse of that exquisite song, with the first of which
we commenced it:
'What sought they thus afar? Bright jewels of the mine? The wealth of
seas, the spoils of war? They sought a faith's pure shrine. Aye--call it
holy ground The soil where first they trod! They have left unstain'd
what there they found— Freedom to worship God!'

CHIAPTER II.
'In much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, In distresses… As
having nothing, and yet possessing all things.'--2 COR. vi, 4, 10.
'Is it not much that I may worship Him, With naught my spirit's
breathings to control, And feel His presence in the vast, and dim, And
whispering woods, where dying thunders roll From the far cat'racts?'
HEMANS.
With some anxiety the settlers saw the exploring party set out on their
hazardous enterprise. The season was far advanced, and drifting
snowstorms gave warning of the inclement winter that was rapidly
setting in. Still it was deemed necessary to make some investigation
into the nature of the country, and to endeavor to obtain, if possible, a
supply of provisions before the increasing severity of the weather
should render it impracticable to do so. But, above all, it was desirable
to ascertain what native tribes dwelt in the vicinity of the settlement,
and to use every means to establish friendly relations with them; not
only because such a course would be most in accordance with the
principles of the Gospel which the emigrants professed to hold and to
practice, but also because, in the present state of the infant colony, they
were altogether unprepared to resist any attack that might be made on
them by a large body of Indians.
Maitland led his party inland at first, and for two days they saw no
traces or human inhabitants; but on the afternoon of the third day, as
they were looking about for a convenient spot on which to encamp for
the night, some large and apparently artificial mounds of earth were

observed, scattered over an open glade in the forest. At the first glance,
they appeared like dwelling places; and, knowing something of the
habits of the Indians, Rodolph and two of his companions approached
them warily, fearing to surprise and irritate the inhabitants. But after
making a circuit, and ascertaining that these supposed huts had no
doorways, they went up to them, and found them to be solid mounds, at
the foot of which